-DATE-
19910224
-YEAR-
1991
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
-AUTHOR-
-HEADLINE-
Castro Comments on Gulf Situation at Havana PCC
-PLACE-
CARIBBEAN / Cuba
-SOURCE-
Havana Radio Rebelde and Cuba Vision Networks
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS-LAT-91-038
-REPORT_DATE-
19910226
-HEADER-
BRS Assigned Document Number:    000003099
Report Type:         Daily Report             AFS Number:     FL2502040191
Report Number:       FBIS-LAT-91-038          Report Date:    26 Feb 91
Report Series:       Daily Report             Start Page:     1
Report Division:     CARIBBEAN                End Page:       2
Report Subdivision:  Cuba                     AG File Flag:   
Classification:      UNCLASSIFIED             Language:       Spanish
Document Date:       24 Feb 91
Report Volume:       Tuesday Vol VI No 038

Dissemination:  

City/Source of Document:   Havana Radio Rebelde and Cuba Vision Networks

Report Name:   Latin America

Headline:   Castro Comments on Gulf Situation at Havana PCC

Author(s):   President Fidel Castro at the closing session of the Havana City
Province Communist Party of Cuba

Affiliation(s):   PCC

Source Line:   FL2502040191 Havana Radio Rebelde and Cuba Vision Networks in
Spanish 2352 GMT 24 Feb 91

Subslug:   [Speech by President Fidel Castro at the closing session of the
Havana City Province Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Provincial
Assembly, from the Palace of Conventions in Havana-- live]

-TEXT-
FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE:
1.  [Speech by President Fidel Castro at the closing session of the Havana City
Province Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Provincial Assembly, from the Palace of
Conventions in Havana-- live]

2.  [Excerpt] [passage omitted] Nothing is new and nothing surprises us about
what happened in the Persian Gulf.  Everything we thought was going to happen
is happening. We told everyone, all the parties, publicly, what was going to
happen. Not only what we thought, but exactly everything we said was going to
happen is happening. I do not want to expand on this subject. The conflict is
at a critical point right now. The United States has refused a peaceful
solution. What they want is a bloodbath. The Soviet Union made last-minute
efforts to stop the actions based on the fulfillment of the UN resolution. They
did not even accept that. What they want is a slaughter, a butchery by whatever
means. They want to test their weapons, to kill tens of thousands, hundred of
thousands of people. They want to create an environmental disaster with all the
wells burning.

3.  News today is contradictory. We have received reports throughout the day.
We do not know exactly what is happening, the intensity of the fighting, or the
offensive actions that are being conducted on the ground. We have seen again
one of the most shameful pages of history with a war that had already been
resolved. The pretexts of the war had already ended. The imperialists were
adamant to continue it. We have seen their style, their massive bombing
tactics, the use of sophisticated weapons, the fear of engaging in a ground
fight. They fear a ground war more than the devil. They would prefer a
technical war even if they were superior by 10 to one, 20 to one in technology
and weaponry.

4.  We have known this for a long time. None of this surprises us. This is why
we have been working and preparing for an all-peoples' defense. In the midst of
building camps and preparing for the Pan-American Games and all those things we
have the defense projects.  We will do more and more. We will not neglect that
for a second. Fortunately, we have been thinking about this for a long time. We
have worked for a long time. Now that we have a surplus of labor, we need to
estimate how much cement, iron.... [changes thought] We should intensify the
fortification and defense projects so that the Yankees know how things are with
us.

5.  Of course, I believe the Iraqis have defended themselves well. They have
shown themselves to be courageous.  This is not our kind of war.
Unquestionably, we have had different ideas of war and defense. It would be a
different type of war. They would have to face us man to man, with us and a
[words indistinct]. It is not a matter of bombings and planes in which they
drop bombs here and there. If they fight on the ground with us, man to man,
they are going to remember Maceo's cavalry charges. [applause]

6.  Of course, you know that the revolution has always been characterized by
its cold blood and the great sense of responsibility. Unfortunately, it is
unquestionable that Iraq made serious political mistakes. It hurts us. It gave
the imperialists their great opportunity on a silver platter; their first big
action as owners of the world. This resulted in the most shameful page of
history ever written in the United Nations. There has been talk about all this.
The lone star of Cuba shone there like it never had before. [applause]

7.  I believe that a glorious page of Cuban policy and diplomacy was written
there. We truly did everything possible to prevent this war, everything
possible. We acted in all directions and with the Iraqis themselves.  The
documents are there for history, showing what we proposed and analyzed, telling
them all the consequences that process would have. The rest of them decided to
sit on a bed of roses and create a large coalition which included Arabs,
Muslims, NATO, and Security Council agreements so they could do what they
wanted, prevail there with all their might, control those natural resources,
and impose their hegemony.

8.  History will also characterize Cuba's behavior during this period: what we
told each party and what we did until the end without a single mistake in each
decision, each discussion, and even voting in what we condemned and rejected. I
believe that our doctors have written another page. Most of them have not moved
from their post. [applause] This is Cuba. Better yet, this is the spirit of
Cuba. Our diplomatic personnel remained there.  Everything could have happened
there, nobody knows.  Everything could still happen. We do not know where the
barbaric offensive is going to stop, if they are going to occupy the entire
country or if they are going to limit themselves to Kuwait, if they demand
conditions. It is a dangerous situation. The diplomats, nurses, and doctors
remain there.

9.  This is the only country that did this. The only country that did this.
[repeats himself] I believe that those compatriots of ours have given an
impressive example.  This does not surprise us at all. This is our people's
usual behavior. The international opinion, expressed by all the diplomats at
the United Nations in a open, direct, and indirect way, has recognized Cuba's
role. Our country enjoys great authority at the United Nations because this
coincided with the time in which we were at the Security Council. This is one
more lesson the world receives of the imperialists' behavior, of how dangerous
imperialists are if they feel alone in the world and owners of the world.

10.  It would be very dramatic for the world if the USSR could not overcome its
difficulties, if the USSR could not preserve its integrity, if the USSR could
not continue being a superpower in the world. Today all the Third World peoples
who were bombarded so much by the propaganda against socialism and against the
USSR will realize how terrible a world is with unilateral U.S.  domination.
This is very scary except for us. I do not believe [chuckles] there is anyone
who is more at ease than us, that has more confidence in its destiny, its
people, its strength, its values, and its principles than us.  It could also be
that we do not know what fear is. It is not that we are of a different species.
Courage and fear has to do with concepts, philosophy, certain ideas, and
certain values of society.

11.  I do not know if there is a gene that gets inside people's heads. They
call it a genetic intelligence. They must have passed us something. [laughter]
That has been going on for a long time, since the October crisis. There were no
people more tranquil, more level-headed, or calm than the Cuban people since
then, since early on. The new generations are better educated in that
rebellious free spirit, in that defiance. These are people who do not know what
fear is. This is marvelous. Everything can happen and there will be no fear.
There can be all the fears in the world and there will be no fear. The Yankees
can end up being the masters of the world and there will be no fear because
they will know that there is a little town, one, that says no. A small town
will remain independent until the last consequences. When there is a small town
capable of doing this today, there is no other choice than to respect it.

12.  This is why we are at ease observing the events. We do not believe the
last word has been said. We do not believe that imperialists can enjoy the
pleasure of seeing the USSR disintegrate. This is a country with a great
history and great heroism which is living a very difficult time. It can be seen
that society is more and more aware of the dangers of this hour, of the
imperialists' intentions, and of the need to preserve the USSR. This lesson of
the Gulf will also give many examples... [rephrases] will give a great example
and will teach the world opinion a lot. At the end, nobody will be able to take
over the world, nobody will be able to be the master of the world. Those who
attempt to do so are extremely crazy because this world with some 5 billion
inhabitants is a volcano, it is ungovernable. It has so many serious problems
that, even with the all the technological and military might, that country will
not be able to impose its will on the world. We would not be the only ones to
resist.

13.  We are prepared. There is no other country better prepared for a time like
this than Cuba. Incredible things have happened, the total collapse of the
socialist camp within a few months. We had developed our economic relations in
the face of the Yankee blockade. The incredible difficulties of the USSR have
developed in a few years. We had counted on the Soviet support. Our economic
relations were based on it. The imperialists are stronger, more arrogant, more
spoiled, and madder at us--mad because they have seen our firmness, that
nothing can dent the mood of our people. To have to face all these political
and economic problems truly constitutes a big test and a challenge as only a
country such as this one could face. We are prepared morally, mentally, and
emotionally to face it. This is the wealth the revolution and the party has
today. For the rest, in the midst of that euphoria, we can remind the Yankees
of the famous song about the pirate--practically everyone read it when he was
in high school, although I do not know if those little books still circulate.
In my time they called it ``The Pirate's Song,'' which said: If I die, what is
life since I already gave it up, when the yoke of the slave as a brave man I
shook off? We shook off the yoke a long time ago.  [prolonged applause]

14.  This explains our serenity, because a country that has been capable of
shaking off all the yokes, the yoke of social slavery, the yoke of injustice,
the yoke of colonialism, the yoke of neocolonialism, the yoke of tyranny, the
yoke of slavery, will never know what fear is, will never be fearful of the
idea of death, and much less when we know that we are not going to die, much
less now.  [laughter] Nobody is going to die because we are going to resist and
because we know that we are going to win.  [applause] In any case, there are
great challenges in the economic camp or great challenges in the battlefield. 
This is why, comrades, let us say today with more reason than ever, with a
greater conviction, and with more pride than ever: Socialism or death!
Fatherland or death! We will win! [crowd joins in with slogan] [prolonged
applause] [crowd chants: Fidel! Fidel!]
-END-